Improvement in railroad-switches



J. SHAFER.

Improvement in Railroad-Switches.

Patented July 16, 1872.

No. I29,063.

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UNITED STATEs PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN sEAEEE, oE TUNNEL HILL, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPRoi/EMENT IN RAILROAD-SWITCHES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 129,063, dated July 16,1872.

Specification describing a new and useful Improvement inRailroad-Switch, invented by JOHN SHALFER, of Tunnel Hill, in thecounty` of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania.

My improvement in switches consists of a novel arragenient whereby therails for the main line maintain their complete form, and do not havethe tongue or frog common to ordinary switches.

Figure l of the drawing is a plan view of a main line and switcharranged according to my invention, and Fig. 2 is a perspective view ofthe piece C F.

A, A1, and A2 represent the main line. B B represent the siding. G and Drepresent the switch. E is a beveled piece terminating the inside railof the siding. The part C of the switch is a widened and elevated pieceon the outside of one of the main rails, A, next to the ends of A1 andB, which are parallel to each other; between which part C and said railA, at the end, is a groove, F, into which the ange of the wheel isreceived as it passes oft the end of the rail B', at the same time thatthe flan ge of the wheel on the other side passes outside of the curvedguard-rail D, and the head passes onto thev point E. The said groove Fshallows up to a level with the top of rail A, and the high portion Ccurves inward, so as to force the wheel over to the inside of rail A,the outside of the wheel curving against the inner curved wall of saidpart C. The guard-rail D acts on the inside ofthe other wheel, andforces it over onto the main rail of that side in the same manner. Therails Al and B are secured at one end to cross-tie, in the usual manner,and at the other end are connected to a sliding bar, H, which isoperated by means of a horizontal springlever, b, that is adapted to besprung over and against one or the other side of a triangular block, a,whereby the movable ends of the main and siding rails are securely heldin position.

For running cars from the siding onto the main track by this switch, therails B will be shifted into the line with B', and A1 into line with A2;but for running from the main track onto the siding, the said rails Band A1 will be adjusted by the sliding bar H, as shown.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- The switch and siding herein described, consistin gof the widened and elevated piece C, having the groove F, curvedguard-railD, short tapered piece` E, main and sliding rails A1 B,sliding bar H, spring-lever b, and block a, all constructed and arrangedin the manner and for the purpose specified.

JOHN SHAFER.

Witnesses:

THEoDoEE BENHAM, JACOB MILLER.

